African Campaigners Vow to Make 2010 A Year of Change

The Deputy Director of the UN Millennium Campaign for Africa has urged campaigners attending a retreat in the Malawian city of Lilongwe to make 2010 a major turning point for the continent.

“In the coming year, let us reignite the wind of change that swept across Africa during the 1960s; the change that freed African people from the bondage of colonialism, apartheid and slavery,” Charles Abugre said.

“Our focus next year is to pressure our leaders to spend within country means; every time a four wheel drive is purchased in Africa, an opportunity to construct a classroom … is missed,” he added.

The retreat was attended by representatives of faith-based, civil society and local government organizations from across the 17 countries the campaigns targets.
Speaker after speaker reflected upon the status of the campaigns in their respective countries. Western, Southern and Eastern Africa reported that the launch of the Piga Debe for Women’s Rights campaign had given new thrust to the campaign.

“Piga Debe for Women’s Rights opened doors for gender-based organizations to join our campaign,” said Deo Nyanzi of the NGO Forum, Uganda.

“We would not have managed to mobilize the numbers we did for ‘Stand Up’ [the annual mobilization in support of the Millennium Development Goals held in October] had it not been for the launch of Piga Debe,” said another campaigner from Liberia.
Under guidance from Abugre, campaigners defined their strategic direction for 2010 to 2015, which includes ensuring that government policy and practice are fulfilling the spirit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), supporting increased monitoring of the MDGs at the grassroots level and building people’s movement for the MDGs.
Campaigners identified the African Union 2010 Summit, the World Cup in South Africa next year and the 50th anniversaries of African independence celebrations which will fall during the next five years as major events for the African campaign.

During her closing remarks, the communications coordinator of the UN Millennium Campaign in Africa, Sylvia Mwichuli, congratulated campaigners and issued certificates for their efforts during “Stand Up,” which set a new world record for the largest mobilization of human beings in history.